August 5

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Women peacemakers born today

  • 1905 Alice Shaffer born Chicago, IL (d. 1997) "Champion of the world's children". Quaker social worker; director of Berlin Quaker center 1939 aiding refugees; first UNICEF worker in Latin America 1947-62.

  • 1910 Jacquetta Hawkes born Cambridge, England (d. 1996). Prominent British archaeologist; wrote UNESCO History of Mankind; led Aldermaston March at founding of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) 1958; chaired Women Against the Bomb conference London June 1958.

  • 1976 May Sabe Phyu born Yangon, Burma. Kachin peace leader. Founded Kachin Peace Network, 2012; Director, Gender Equality Network. Arrested and acquitted for peace protests.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1906 In response to women's activism, Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar of Persia issued a proclamation calling for the establishment of a national constitution.

  • 1989 22-year-old protester Helen Thomas killed by police van Greenham Common.

  • 1990 First International Conference of Indigenous Women Karasjohka, Norway.

  • 1990 Women on the Road to Peace started 2,500 mile protest against British nuclear bases start at Upper Heyford, Berks.

  • 2005 Peace Gardeners (Barbara Smedema, Susan Clarkson, Treena Lenthall, Lizzie Jones) arrested for planting vines and fig trees at Aldermaston atomic facility.